Typographic molds with cooling means



Aug. 13, 1968 5. cs. SCOTT ET AL TYPOGHAPHIC MOLDS WITH COOLING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 6, 1967 Ira/as; wicarr Aug. 13, 1968 s. G. SCOTT ET AL 3,396,831

TYPOGRAPHIC MO LDS WITH COOLING MEANS Filed March 6, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ag- 7 6 6 @94- V INVENIO 4 JM/vLEYGaemv arr 0104245 L6H [usmup United States Patent 3,396,831 TYPOGRAPHIC MOLDS WITH COOLING MEANS Stanley Gordon Scott, Redhill, and Charles John England,

Smallfield, England, assignors to The Monotype Corporation Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Mar. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 620,846

Claims priority, application Great Britain, Mar. 11, 1966,

8 Claims. (Cl. 199-91) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A type casting mol-d between two spaced side blocks rigidly secured to the base of the mold through which a molten inlet passes closer to one side block than the other. A movable blade ejects molded type when a slidable cross block opens one wall of the cavity. The side blocks include hard surfaced inserts which are replaceable without changing the side blocks. The base, side blocks, blade, slidable block and inserts are all water cooled to allow faster type cast-ing and prevent uneven expansion and contraction of the mold.

The invention relates to molds for type casting.

The invention provides, in one of its aspects, a type casting mold comprising a generally rectangular mold cavity bounded on two opposite sides by two side blocks, an inlet passage for supply-ing molding material to the cavity being provided in a boundary wall of the cavity extending between the two side blocks and entering the cavity nearer one side block than the other which one side block is provided with cooling means.

Preferably the said inlet passage is provided with a narrow opening into the cavity, the width of said opening being less than half the distance between the side blocks.

Preferably a cooling liquid passage is provided passing close to said inlet passage so as to tend to solidify the material remaining in the inlet passage after each casting operation.

The invention provides in one of its aspects, a type casting mold comprising a base member, two side blocks rigidly connected to the base member and spaced apart from each other to form two opposite side walls of the mold cavity at least one slidable blade member movable between the two side blocks for forming a further wall of the said cavity and for ejecting a type character when cast in the mold, which side blocks each have abutment surfaces for bearing against opposite sides of the blade member and guiding the blade member.

Preferably the side blocks each include a replaceable insert adjacent the mold cavity, the insert having a hard surface to resist wear and scoring.

Preferably the side blocks and blade member or members are arranged so that the space between the said abutment surfaces and the width of the body part of the blade member or members for sliding between said abutment surfaces is at least equal to the maximum width required for the mold cavity so that a range of smaller widths may be obtained by fitting a thicker insert to at least one of the side blocks to reduce the width of the cavity and using a blade member or members having an end region of smaller width than the body part so that the end region may slide between the two inserts.

Preferably the type casting mold is for use in type composing and the position of the blade member or members is adjustable for each casting operation in order to adjust the size of the cast body to obtain the required spacing between adjacent type characters.

Preferably means are provided to pass cooling liquid ice through both of the said side blocks close to the mold cavity. Preferably the wall of the cavity opposite said slidable blade member is formed by a block member slidable to open the cavity and allow the cast body to be ejected by the blade member and preferably means are provided to pass cooling liquid through the said block member. Preferably means are provided to pass cooling liquid through the said blade member or members.

Preferably flexible pipes are provided to deliver and remove cooling liquid to and from the said block member and blade member or members.

Preferably the side blocks are detachable from the base member and movable towards said block member to allow for wear between the side blocks and block member due to sliding movement of the block member.

A specific construction of type casting mold embodying the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a type casting mold,

FIGURE 2 is the same perspective view partly cut away,

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line 3-3 in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line 44 in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 5 shows the same view as FIGURE 2 but includes the paths of the cooling water, and

FIGURE 6 shows part of the mold and includes the path of the cooling water.

In FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 the paths of the cooling water are omitted for clarity.

The mold in this example is for type casting machines such as are sold under the registered trademark Monotype. Hot liquid metal to be molded into a block hearing a type character is injected into a cavity 35 in a type mold where it cools and solidifies. After solidification, one wall of the mold cavity slides aside to open the cavity and blades which form the opposite wall of the mold cavity move to eject the cast type block.

The type casting mold has a flat rectangular base 11 of hardened steel to which is rigidly attached on one side an upstanding side plate 12, on the other side two spaced side plates 13a and 13b and on one end an end block 71. Mounted on the base 11 and rigidly attached to the plates 13a and 13b, the base 11, and the end block 71 is an intermediate plate 14. Mounted on and rigidly attached to the intermediate plate 14 and plates 13b and 13a are two side blocks 15 and 16 spaced apart and including rigidly secured but replaceable hard surfaced inserts 17 and 18. Insert 18 has a horizontally extending projecting rib 27. A blade 19 is slidably mounted on a blade 20 which is arranged to slide on the plate 14. Both blades 19 and 20 slide between the side blocks in contact with, and guided by, the inwardly facing abutment surfaces 10 on the side blocks 15, 16. The blade 20 has a groove 28 corresponding to, and engaging with, the rib 27. The outer ends of the blades 19 and 20 project through the space between the side plates 13a and 13b and are supported on an extension 26 of the intermediate plate 14. In this example, the width of the gap between the abutment surfaces 10 is equal to the maximum width (i.e., the point size, that is a dimension perpendicular to the line of print when composed), required of any type block to be cast in the mold. In the drawings the width of the mold cavity is less than this maximum width. This is achieved by the insert 18 being thicker than the insert 17 so that the face of the insert 18 projects outwardly from the side block 16 towards the side block 15. The face of the insert 17 is flush with the abutment surface 10 of the side block 15. The rear part of both blades 19 and 20, which slides between the abutment surfaces 10 is of the same width as the gap between the 3 two surfaces 10. The front part of the blades 19 and 20 is of reduced width and fits closely but slidably between the inserts 17 and 18. A cross block 21 is slidably mounted between a gib block 22 and the side blocks 15 and 16, the cross block 21 being moved by a rod (not shown) which engages a projection 36 on the cross block 21. The rod is connected to a mechanism (not shown) for withdrawing type cast in the mold and is reciprocated in timed relation with the other operations of the mold. The gib block 22 is mounted on a shoulder 9 on the side plate 12. Ridigly attached to the underside of the cross block 21 are two gate-blocks 23 and 24 forming between them the upper part 25 of an inlet passage to the type mold cavity 35. The lower part 37 of the inlet passage is formed in the base plate 11.

Cooling water is fed to an inlet 33 and passes through a pipe 40 along the base 11 of the mold to a point 47, vertically up a pipe 41 through the base 11, the intermediate plate 14 and the side block 15 along the upper part of the side block 15 and the upper part of insert 17 in a pipe 42 and then vertically down through insert 17 in a pipe 43 close to the mold cavity 35. The water then passes through a pipe 44 through the side block 15 under the blades 19 and 20 in the intermediate plate 14 and up through the side block 16 and the insert 18 close to the cavity 35. It then passes from the top of the insert 18 through a pipe 45 along the upper part of the side block 16 finally passing down a pipe 46 to a water outlet 39 in the base 11.

From the point 47 on the base 11 cooling water also passes along a pipe 48 along the base 11, through a vertical pipe 49 and into a flexible pipe 30 from where it passes into the lower blade 20 and passes along a pipe 62 up to the end of the blade 20 near the mold cavity 35, the Water passes back along the blade 20, through a flexible pipe 29 and then along a pipe 50 and out through a water outlet 34 in the base 11.

Another cooling water pipe 51 passes water from the inlet 33 along the base 11 to the side plate 12 and a pipe 52 passes the water vertical-1y up the side plate 12 and along to a flexible tube 31 the other end of which is attached to the cross block 21. The water then passes through the cross block and gate blocks as shOWn in FIGURE 6, i.e., horizontally along the cross block from an inlet 53 in a pipe 54, vertically down a pipe 55 to the gate block 24 and horizontally along a pipe 56 towards the hot metal in-let passage 25. The water then passes through a pipe 57 which passes through the cross block 21 and into the gate block 23, along a pipe 58 close to the hot metal inlet passage, through a pipe 59 to the cross block 21 and along the cross block 21 in a pipe 60 to a flexible tube 32. The water then passes to a waste outlet 38 in the base 11 through a pipe 61.

The mode of operation of the mold is as follows. A matrix containing a plurality of impressions of individually selectable characters is positioned over the mold cavity 35 and abuts against the upper faces of the inserts 17 and 18 in the side blocks 15 and 16. Prior to each character being cast, the cross block 21 is moved to the position shown in the drawings in which it forms a wall of the cavity 35 and the upper and lower parts 25 and 37 of the hot metal inlet passage are vertically aligned; the blades 19 and 20 are moved away from the cross block 21 by a slide and cross pin (not shown) connected to a justifying mechanism. The extent of movement is adjusted for each casting operation so that the dimension of the mold cavity 35 in the direction along the length of the blades 19 and 20 gives the correct size of cast block to obtain the required spacing between successive type characters in the composed line of print. The upper blade 19 may be moved in conjunction with the main blade 20, or independently of it, for casting full height type or low spaces as required. The position of the matrix is adjusted so that the required character impression is in position over the otherwise open top face of the mold cavity 35. Hot metal is injected through the lower and upper inlet passages 37 and 25 into the mold cavity 35. The metal fills the cavity 35 and solidifies, the mold cavity being cooled by the water flowing in the surrounding cooling passages. The cross block 21 is then moved to the right as seen in FIGURE 1, and as the gate blocks 23 and 24 are attached to the cross block they also move, thus breaking off the small piece of metal left in the upper part of the inlet 25 from the molded type body. When the cross block 21 has s-lid far enough to open the side of the mold cavity 35, the blades 19 and 20 are moved across the mold cavity 35 and eject the cast type body through the open side of the cavity 35. The case character is then removed and assembled in a line of print being composed. When the inlet 25 is clear of the base 11 the small piece of metal in the inlet 25 is ejected into a melting pot below by a push member -(not shown) slidable in a groove in the cross block perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIGURE 3.

The operating cycle then starts again.

In the above described example, the water cooling system reduces the time taken for the metal to solidify in the mold cavity and thereby speeds up the type casting operation. Furthermore, the cooling system tends to avoid uneven expansion and contraction due to temperature changes thereby permitting the side blocks to be rigidly secured to the base member to make a rigid and strong structure. Owing to the strength and rigidity of the mold, should there occur any faulty ejection (that is that the type after casting is not properly pushed out of the mold cavity before the cross block is traversed on its return stroke and comes up against the half ejected casting), the casting is sheared in two without damage to the mold.

As cooling water is passed close to the hot metal inlet passage, it assists in cooling and solidifying the foot of the cast block and reduces the possibility of any entrapped air in the cast block escaping through the foot of the cast block (known as bleeding feet) when the pressure of the metal injection supply pump is released and the cross block is moved sideways to sever the metal at the top of the metal inlet 25. The opening of the inlet passage 25 into the cavity 35 is nearer the side block 15 than the side block 16 as shown in FIGURE 4. In this way, the opening of the passage 25 is as near the water cooled insert 17 as possible. This cools the point of injection quicker and also gives longer for the metal at the center of the bottom of the cavity 35 to cool before pressure from the supply pump is released. Furthermore, as any entrapped air in the casting will tend to be in the center of the casting, it is less likely to cause bleeding feet.

The cooling water system may be a closed circuit system so that distilled water may be used to reduce the possibility of furring in the pipes. A refrigeration or cooling unit may be included in the water system. Corro sion resistant materials are used in the water system.

The inlet passage 25 is shaped to hold only a small amount of metal so as to assist in cooling the metal in the cavity and speed up solidification in the passage 25 after each casting operation. The width of the passage 25 opening into the cavity 35 is much less than half the separation of the side blocks 15 and 16.

By spacing the side blocks 15 and 16 apart by the maximum point size required for any cast character, the rear part of the blades 19 and 20 is relatively wide as described above. This reduces wear on the blades 19 and 20 and abutting surfaces on which they slide and allows the point size of the mold cavity to be changed by inserting different blades 19 and 20 having their front portions cut away to the required point size of the mold, while retaining a standard width across their back portions so that the separation of the abutment surfaces 10 need not be altered. The thickness of the insert 18 is then changed so that the front portion of the blades 19 and 20 is a sliding fit between inserts 17 and 18.

As the side blocks 15 and 16 are rigidly secured to the base member 11, there is no need for distance pieces between the abutment surfaces to maintain an accurate separation, and this results in high accuracy of type size and enables the blades to be removed for cleaning without disturbing the side blocks.

The abutting faces of the side blocks 15, 16 and intermediate plate 14, adjacent the cross block 21 and gate blocks 24 and 23 are subject to considerable wear and sometimes scoring. In this example it is possible to detach the side plates 13a and 13b and machine the faces 67 and 68 of the side plates 13a and 13b adjacent to the base 11 and/ or intermediate plate 14, by the appropriate amount so that the side blocks can slide forward to take up the clearance between them and the cross block 21. The plates 13a and 13b are then reattached rigidly to the base 11.

In a similar way the adjustment of the abutment surfaces 10 of side blocks 15 and 16 may be made by removing the end block 71 and machining the appropriate locating surfaces of face 69, of the end block 71 adjacent the base 11 and intermediate plate 14. Before reassembling the side block is moved to efiect the adjustment.

The inserts 17 and 18 have a hard surface of tungsten carbide to resist wear and scoring, but if damaged they may be replaced easily without replacing the rest of the side blocks 15 and 16.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing example.

We claim:

1. A single type casting mold, comprising: a generally rectangular mold cavity, two side blocks forming two opposite sides of said cavity, a cooling passage in each of said side blocks, an ejection member forming a third side of said cavity movable between said side blocks to eject a cast type, a cooling passage insaid ejection mem ber, a slidable block member forming a fourth side of said cavity and extending between said side blocks opposite said ejection member, said block member being slidable to open said cavity so as to allow said ejection member to eject a cast type, a cooling passage in said slidable block member, a wall forming a fifth side of said cavity extending between said side blocks, an inlet passage passing through said wall for supplying molding material to said cavity, said inlet passage being disposed closer to one of said side blocks than the other of said side blocks,

a cooling passage in said wall, and means for passing cooling liquid through each of said cooling passages.

2. A single type casting mold as claimed in claim 1, including flexible pipes mounted between said means for passing cooling liquid through said cooling passages and the cooling passages in said ejection member and said slidable block member.

3. A single type casting mold as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opening of said molding material inlet passage lies wholly within one half of the width of said mold cavity.

4. A single type casting mold as claimed in claim 3, wherein said securing means rigidly securing said side blocks to said base member is releasable, whereby said side blocks may be moved towards said slidable block member.

5. A single type casting mold as claimed in claim 1, including a base member and securing means rigidly securing said side blocks to the base member.

6. A single type casting mold as claimed in claim 5, including replaceable inserts mounted on said side blocks adjacent said mold cavity.

7. A single type casting mold as claimed in claim 1, including means for moving said ejection member towards or away from said slidable block member before each casting operation so as to adjust the size of said mold cavity.

8. A single type casting mold as claimed in claim 7, wherein said ejection member includes two separately movable blade members, one of said blade members slidably mounted on top of the other of said blade members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 796,850 8/1905 Muehleisen 199-56 1,300,281 4/1919 Knight 199-56 1,483,021 2/ 1924 Stevenson 199-55 1,946,369 2/1934 Turner 199-47 2,035,443 3/1936 Albrecht 199-56 2,053,232 9/ 1936 Willis 199-47 XR 3,009,563 11/1961 Bendix 166-91 3,020,999 2/ 1962 Debus 199-56 ROBERT. E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

E. S. 'BURR, Assistant Examiner, 

